If you think you have encountered a person (adult or child) who has been a survivor of modern slavery in England and Wales, you should complete a referral via the new online process.
The new online process allows first responders to submit an NRM referral through a single online form regardless of their location in the UK, or whether the victim is an adult or child. The form has been designed to be responsive and will change depending on the options selected – including identifying whether a case is an NRM referral or a DtN referral (for individuals in England and Wales).
The online form will identify whether someone is a first responder by verifying their work email address. First responders will need to complete this verification to progress with the form.
After submitting the form (which will be sent to the Single Competent Authority) the first responder will be sent a link to download a copy. Once it’s been received by the Single Competent Authority the form will be assigned a reference number which will be emailed to the first responder.
The online form must be completed in one go and it will time out without saving your inputs if you leave it undisturbed for one hour. For more information click here
We recommend that you use the old offline form when gathering information from the survivor and then upload that to the new online form later. This frees you from time restrictions when working with survivors and protects you from losing your information.
You can find the old version of the NRM form as well as NRM form guidance by clicking here
“Principles that underpin early support provision for survivors of trafficking” states that:
If a referral to the NRM is made, this should be done together with the survivor, in person, so they are able to read the content of the NRM form and accompanying narrative in a language they understand before they sign the form; consent can only be obtained after they have understood and agreed to the content.
First Responders must explain their own privacy note prior to ‘processing data’ and explain the Home Office’s policy prior to completing and submitting any personal data.
All survivors should be provided with a copy of the NRM form at the point it is submitted and know they can request copies in the future.
All survivors should be able to get copies of any associated paperwork; for example, correspondence about the referral that may arise after it, or supplementary documents that are sent in (before the NRM Reasonable Grounds decision), and the consideration minutes accompanying any decision.
Access to any NRM related documents should be easy for the client if asking directly or if requested by any representative or third party who has the appropriate consent (i.e. a consent form) and should not be by way of a subject access request or require a fee to be paid.
Staff acting as First Responders to the NRM need to be fully trained and able to demonstrate their knowledge of what happens with different authorities after an NRM referral when taking consent. This includes communicating that if a person chooses to enter the NRM, the NRM form will be shared with the Competent Authority, and then with the police force local to the exploitation, who may conduct an investigation, regardless of whether the survivor wish to report the crime – but that this does not mean they have to engage with police.
Advocates or caseworkers within the Places of Safety and NRM First Responders may be contacted in the future to assist with the case, so it is essential that accurate notes are kept, following organisational policy and Data Protection guidelines.
British Red Cross, the Human Trafficking Foundation, the Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group, and Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit (ATLEU). 2018. ‘Principles that underpin early support provision for survivors of trafficking’.
